VINTAGE SPRING REVERB + BAXANDALL

Springs is a plugin which features a collection of vintage spring reverbs paired with an authentic Baxandall EQ emulation.

Springs features emulations from 8 types of spring reverbs, ranging from a long 6-spring pipe to a tiny battery-powered single-spring unit. We have used a combination of convolution and modelling to recreate the vintage character of each reverb.

MAIN SPECIFICATIONS:

• 8 Vintage Spring Reverbs
• Baxandall EQ (three bands)
• 50 Presets
• Resizable Window
• Preset system with randomizer

Spring reverbs were usually paired with tone stacks from guitar amplifiers. Springs features one of the most iconic and unique sounding tone stack equalizers: the Baxandall EQ. A classic Baxandall tone stack usually features just the bass and treble bands, but we have also added a Mid band (with control over the Q).

SPRING REVERBS

We have collected and emulated several spring reverbs. Each one with its own sound.

• Audition – A small guitar head amplifier, very noisy, and with a very basic spring reverb. Released in 1975
• GBS – A pair of Accutronics spring tanks housed in a length of plastic drainpipe.
• RE-201 – Classic Tape Echo with Reverb Tank. Released in 1974.
• SR-202W – Used by many artists as the “secret weapon” to add depth and character to vocals.
• HR-12 Vintage Japanese spring reverb, branded as “Echo Unit”. Dating from the last 60s to the 70s.
• A-199 – Modern eurorack spring reverb module.
• REV-25 – Vintage Japanese spring reverb. Also rebranded as AM-534. From the 70s.
• RA-844 – Very small, battery powered, solid-state reverberation amplifier.

BAXANDALL EQ

The Baxandall EQ is a classic type of EQ, mostly found in guitar amps, and usually limited to just a single tone control or two bands (bass and treble). We have added a third band (mid with Q control) to shape the reverb sound further. One important characteristic of the Baxandall EQ is that the bands interact with each other.

This may seem like an unwanted behavior, but it’s one of the reasons why the Baxandall EQ curves are smooth and musical.

HOW SPRING REVERBS WORK

A spring reverb is an electromechanical device that uses transducers/pickups with steel springs in order to simulate the reflections of a reverb.

The input signal is passed through a transducer to one or multiple springs, the vibrations are then captured by an output transducer on the opposite side.

Using multiple springs with different sizes and different thickness can create a more interesting and rich reverb sound.